I am someone who basically does nothing without music. I am someone who will obsess over one song for days at a time and choreograph dance routines for said song in their head. I am someone who frequently revisits songs from their adolescence like it just dropped yesterday. I am someone who sings in their car, randomly nerdy dances in hallways, taps their foot, air drums and skips back ten seconds in a song to hear that change in key again, just because.
Music energizes me, motivates me, reminds me of moments in my life (I have an odd knack for remembering when or how I came across specific songs) and connects me to others. I love to talk about music, find new music by peeping others’ playlists and share music I’m listening to.
Getting to the point…
Here are some songs I’ve been listening to lately to keep me sane through this pandemic for one reason or another. You can find the Spotify playlist embedded at the bottom of this post. Some of the songs are dancy, some are loud and some are heavy on that explicit warning:
‘Phoning It In’ – Gerard Way Unavailable on Spotify, so here it is on YouTube. What a bop. I LOVE the way he slurs the words: “I’m busy painting these mini metal skeletons and…”. It’s the most Gerard Way line ever, nasal and all. Even better, he released this song for free during the pandemic. There is good reason why My Chemical Romance fans adore this legend so much.
‘Hard Times’ – Paramore If I could pick my anthem for this pandemic, this would be it. The band’s record titled ‘After Laughter’ is all based around mental health. A must for anyone in their twenties (and beyond) for sure.
‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’ – Tears for Fears I first heard this song as a kid at the end of the film ‘Real Genius’ after they exploded the house with popcorn. I regret absolutely nothing. Also, you should watch ‘Real Genius‘ if you haven’t. The fact that this was the song chosen for the end credits should alone sell you on it.
‘Stupid Love’ – Lady Gaga This and ‘Rain on Me’ were on heavy rotation everywhere this summer. Why is this song so dang catchy!? I – like everyone else, probably – can’t help but dance in front of my mirror like I choreographed the video myself when I listen to it.
‘Give Me Hope’ – The New Politics It took me way too long to discover this amazing band, so now I overcompensate by blaring their entire discography frequently. Does this song not sound like it belongs in a movie trailer? Get your Danish butts to Winnipeg after this pandemic is over, please and thanks!
‘Club Zero’ – The Go-Go’s This iconic girl band came back with a solid punch to the system and I am here for it. Pair this jam with Jennifer Mathieu’s young adult novel ‘Moxie’ for feminist power.
‘Kickstart My Heart’ – Mötley Crüe Netflix’s ‘The Dirt’ really got me into Mötley Crüe and anytime I need to pump myself up for a cardio workout this gets me to where I need to be mentally.
‘Hair of the Dog’ – Nazareth Bow down to ‘Lords of Dogtown’ for having the ultimate movie soundtrack. This song can get you through or help you celebrate almost anything, I swear. I have listened to this before a job interview, after a bitter conversation with a university professor, whenever I feel like my eyebrows are on point, etc.
‘I Fought the Law’ – The Clash I always used to think of Inward Eye whenever I heard The Clash. Now I’m reminded of this one random man I saw at a Def Leppard concert who was dancing like no one was watching to this particular song between sets. I adore people who dance like no one is watching. I will always cheer you on!
‘Hang on to Yourself’ – Palaye Royale I went through a serious addiction to this song and I still feel like this band is too underappreciated. Their aesthetic is A+ (check out the music video) and their music is fun, but edgy. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting the band twice now and I only wish my makeup was as impressive as Remington’s. Goals!
‘We Don’t Have to Dance’ – Andy Black This guy can lull me with both his speaking and singing voice. Best known for being the lead singer of Black Veil Brides I prefer his solo work. I’ve been frequently listening to this song for literal years now because it’s so relatable. Andy has a book coming out later this year. If it’s written with even half as much passion and wisdom as he exudes in interviews I’m sure it’ll be worth checking out. This is an interview from 6 years ago, but I’ll still watch it on occasion because of how he discusses the subject matter (and inspired my love for drawing with Sharpies).
‘All the Small Things’- Blink-182 Yay for inside jokes with friends! Indeed, sometimes work can suck. Will this song ever stop being great? Nope.
‘Let ‘Em Talk’ – Kesha (feat. The Eagles of Death Metal) Don’t you love revisiting records you haven’t listened to for a while and discovering a track that thrills your ear holes that maybe didn’t before? This is a track that got me out of a writer’s rut.
‘Black or White’ – Michael Jackson No playlist is complete without a little bit of MJ. This will forever be my favourite MJ song. You want me to dance and pull out my best “Hee hee”? This will do it.
‘You Can’t Stop the Beat’ – Hairspray Queen Latifah’s part at 3:35 min. though! If you don’t get goosebumps are you even listening? The only downside of this song is that history never actually became the past! Here are two of many petitions you can sign to start helping:
https://www.change.org/p/andy-beshear-justice-for-breonna-taylor
https://www.change.org/p/adams-county-district-attorney-justice-for-elijah-mcclain-2
‘Defying Gravity’ – Wicked I first heard this song in a live performance of the show in Chicago on a school trip. I will forever remember the moment that my breath caught and I cried for the first time during a musical whilst surrounded by my fellow classmates who were also tearful. We were all just so moved when Elphaba belted out to “LOOK TO THE WESTERN SKY” and then proceeded to hit notes we couldn’t comprehend. Join the arts in high school, kids. You’ll regret nothing.
‘Stress’ – Justice (Auto remix) Unavailable on Spotify, so here it is on YouTube. Sometimes I find amazing songs through fan videos made for TV shows that I love. In this case someone created a video edit for the series ‘Misfits’ set to this song and I was hooked.
‘Cities in Dust’ – Siouxie and the Banshees On a similar note, I sometimes find new (and old) music is series’ that I watch. I re-watched ‘13 Reasons Why’ from beginning to end and this classic was featured in an iconic moment in season 2.
‘Raise a Little Hell’ – Trooper Anyone who knows me knows that I adore classic rock. I’ve been playing this particular song lately whilst writing and honestly it just fits my mood.
‘Bills’ – LunchMoney Lewis At one school I worked at a colleague led a Zumba workout after 3:30 PM and she played this song. I asked what it was. End of story.
‘I Think We’re Alone Now’ – Billie Joe Armstrong I will forever be a fan of any and all covers of this song. I first heard Tiffany’s version of it on ‘Full House’ and I will bust out Joey, DJ and Stephanie’s exact dance moves to prove it.
‘Dancing with Myself’ – Billy Idol This is such a feel good song. Admittedly I can’t remember when I first heard it, but I always think of ‘Mean Girls’ when I hear it now.
‘Me Myself & I’ – Jive Jones Unavailable on Spotify, so here it is on YouTube. I must have first heard this one from the film ‘Big Fat Liar’. You know when you’re feeling wild and hit random on iTunes? Somewhere buried deep in a random playlist I had made this jam was hiding. The early 2000’s was a time.
‘If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)’ – The 1975 With each record The 1975 puts out there is always a song I develop a fascination over. Like when all I listened to for a week was “It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You)”, which is still a song I love to put on repeat. This tune majorly danceable. Here’s hoping that the band comes back to Winnipeg for a visit. I will personally pay Matty to wear another floppy sweater onstage and lecture about metaphors.
‘Stronger’ – Britney Spears I think I appreciate this song more now as an adult than I ever did as a kid when it first hit music stations. What an anthem. That synth slide back into the chorus with a key change near the end! CLAP CLAP! YES!
‘Party for One’ – Carly Rae Jepsen One time Carly Rae Jepsen casually walked right by my best friend and I at the casino before she opened for Hanson. This was shortly before the world became obsessed with “Call Me Maybe”. She looked busy on her phone, so I don’t regret not stopping her, but it’s a bit ridiculous now that people are underappreciating the new content she comes out with.
‘Flying Solo’ – Fire Tiger This band creates songs in the style of 80’s synth and pop. It’s so much fun and a bit cheesy. I’m more into their song “Spider at Midnight” right now, but this title felt suiting for this particular playlist. If you have a love for 80’s music do yourself a favour and give them a listen.
‘All Dressed Up (With Nowhere to Go)’ – The Struts These magnificent English lads have just recently dropped a new record titled: “Strange Days” that was written and recorded during this pandemic and it’s as glamorous and fun as you’d expect a Struts record to be. This song is one of my favourites on the record. I have dreams of seeing this band live one day. I wouldn’t travel for many bands, but this is one I’d make an exception for if they don’t bring their wondrous flare and talent to Winnipeg soon. I have sparkly silver liquid eyeliner reserved for such a day.
‘Mental Health’ – Zebrahead I first heard about Zebrahead on the Man of the Hour podcast hosted by Sebastien Lefebvre (of Simple Plan) and Patrick Langlois (of iHeartRadio in Quebec and former “web guy” of Simple Plan). I liked what I heard and followed Zebrahead onward for a while. This is one song I still dig up on occasion and yes, I can indeed rap Ali’s part seamlessly.
‘Ca Plane Pour Moi’ – Plastic Bertrand Did you also first hear this from ‘European Vacation’? The song is absolute nonsense when translated into English and that’s what makes is so much better. I cannot sing the whole song, but I like to pretend that I can.
Are there any songs you’ve been clutching to during these crazy times? Let me know in the comments so I can give ‘em a listen!